Shrimp Curry with a side of good conversation

Meals seem to taste better when eaten in good company. I don't know if it's the addition of wine or just good conversation and laughs, but I feel like the act of cooking for others turns a simple recipe into a celebration of food.

Tonight, I had an especially tasty meal of Home-Style Shrimp Curry and spinach salad. Two of my favorite Raleigh friends came to my house and entertained me with funny stories of the weekend. They also helped me prep for my medical school interview, and I will be forever grateful for their assistance.

This dinner was, overall, very easy. I will say that the recipe would be exponentially easier with a food processor (mom and dad...my birthday...dec. 6th...hint, hint), but it is still feasible and delicious from a blender. Make this meal, pair it with a $4 bottle of wine from Trader Joe's, and share it with someone you care about!

Home-Style Shrimp Curry
1 cup basmati rice, rinsed
2 teaspoons curry powder
Kosher salt
3.5 tbs vegetable oil
1 medium onion, quartered
3 cloves garlic
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 to 2 Serrano chile peppers, halved (remove seeds for less heat).
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Combine rice, 1 1/3 cups of water, 1 tsp. curry powder, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tbs. oil in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover on low heat for about 15 minutes; keep warm.

Meanwhile, chop the onion in a food processor, drain the excess liquid and set the onion aside. Mince the garlic and ginger in the processor and set aside, then puree the tomatoes with 1 cup water.

Heat the remaining 3 tbs. oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until golden, about 12 minutes. Add garlic-ginger mixture, chiles, 1 tsp. salt and remaining 1 tsp. curry powder and stir-fry until slightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato puree and simmer until thickened, about 8 minutes.
Add the shrimp, cover and cook over medium-low heat until the shrimp are firm, 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, then stir in yogurt and cilantro. Serve with rice.

Ginger peeling tip:
My food guru's boyfriend, who I will call the vegetarian iron man, taught me the easiest way to peel ginger. Previously, I would use a knife or vegetable peeler thus losing a large part of the pulp and making quite a mess. The vegetarian iron man taught me that peeling a piece of ginger is most successfully achieved with a spoon. With the spoon faced concave side down, you can gently scrap the skin off the ginger. The spoon will allow for removal of the skin in all the tight spaces of the root and conserve the greatest amount of ginger.